Work harder! (not smarter)

[matsuki]

Didn't see a thread dedicated to these examples so....

The other day I saw this inaka private pest control bit on TV...they were praising the creativity of this jiji who was attempting to vacuum giant hornets from a nest with a "vacuum machine." (literally nothing but a shop vac with some tupperware added on to collect the hornets) Was cute and all but the lack of thought/skill put in was concerning....far from pro or experienced. The main jiji was all suited up (another jiji "original"...some sort of makeshift beekeeping suit?) with a screen over his face. He spent quite a bit of time warning everyone several times to "look down" near the nest because the hornets spray poison in your face.

I'm sitting there wondering "haven't you ever heard of goggles? How about a visor" （FYI, the suits they sell in Japan have visors)

Sure enough....next scene, he was sprayed in his eyes.

Sure enough, they praised his toughness and started talking about all the times he's been sprayed/stung

After they cleaned out another nest the final scene was them cooking/eating all the dead hornets. Yummmm

[Russell]

Were the hornets killed by the vacuum cleaner?

Some beekeepers also vacuum up bee nests in the wild, but the bees usually survive.

[J.A.F.O]

I saw one decent episode of jiji giant hornet killer. The man didn't do anything fancy He laid out some sticky glue paper used for rat infestations about the nest the night before. Came back the next day with more than half the hive dead/dying to the stickypaper. Then he walks out like some crazy exterminator gunslinger with 6/10 cans of bug spray and proceeded to "shootem down" at high noon. It was all well and good until he was running out of spray. I remember him cursing in japanese only what I can assume was "Fuck! Fuck!" as two or three Osuzumebachi started staring him down. He beat a hasty retreat to the local hardware store (very ill tempered) and asked for all they had. Went back loaded to the teeth. The battle was epic. Heavy enemy casualties were amassed but in the end the good guys won!

[Coligny]

Work harder! (not smarter)

Godamnitsomuch, I should I put a trademark on this one...

[Russell]

Wonder what kind of gun that is...

[Coligny]

By the noise, standard electric automatic airsoft masheen gun:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airsoft_ ... ctric_guns
Fires 6mm 0.12 to 0.40-0.45 BBs at less than 1 joule strengh (still hurts a plenty thought)

Look like this model:

http://www.evike.com/products/32465/

The cheap stuff is available in every toy aisle (Jusco, Apita)
The more powerfull stuff is +18 y/o only in Hobby shops.
http://www.tokyo-marui.co.jp/index2.html
The good stuff (strength >1 joule) to quiscope barn mouses is illegal here. But most airsoft battletanks from Heng Long seems to be ignored by the custom officers. So between the impossibility to aim and the power you end up with nasty dents in the drywall... Shortening the spring do help taming them...
amazon.com : http://bit.ly/Hlleopard

[Russell]

Looks like quite fun...

[Mike Oxlong]

I saw one decent episode of jiji giant hornet killer. The man didn't do anything fancy He laid out some sticky glue paper used for rat infestations about the nest the night before. Came back the next day with more than half the hive dead/dying to the stickypaper. Then he walks out like some crazy exterminator gunslinger with 6/10 cans of bug spray and proceeded to "shootem down" at high noon. It was all well and good until he was running out of spray. I remember him cursing in japanese only what I can assume was "Fuck! Fuck!" as two or three Osuzumebachi started staring him down. He beat a hasty retreat to the local hardware store (very ill tempered) and asked for all they had. Went back loaded to the teeth. The battle was epic. Heavy enemy casualties were amassed but in the end the good guys won!

For some reason that's the only episode I remember myself...

[J.A.F.O]

For some reason that's the only episode I remember myself...

DUDE! that episode rocked! I haven't been so proud of being a primate since watching King Kong slaughter dinosaurs in that shitty remake years back... Wait. Shit, that means I'm not as cool as a gorilla

[J.A.F.O]

I did see another one where REALLY old ojisan had a nest out his back door. He would tap it, one or two would come out to see what was up and he would grab it with a pair of tongs. Then proceed to roast it in his little hot plate and eat it.

[kurogane]

YOU RACISTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Ganbaru Spirit got them into this mess, and By the shining soul of Amaterasu it will get them in deeper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Errrrrr, out of it................yeah, that's right. That's what I meant.........Out of it.

In a broader focus, has anybody noticed how quickly the Work Smarter Not Harder pundits get shut down on Creepy Wrinkly Near Corpse hosted variety shows. That vicious harridan Hosoki (the astrology whore) went after one of them like the ferrets that ate that poor kid's face. Yeeeks.

[matsuki]

For some reason that's the only episode I remember myself...

DUDE! that episode rocked! I haven't been so proud of being a primate since watching King Kong slaughter dinosaurs in that shitty remake years back... Wait. Shit, that means I'm not as cool as a gorilla

I guess the show wouldn't be as hilarious if the guys had proper equipment, training, and were able to get the job done in one go....but scary there seems to be and endless supply of future Darwin award winners doing this type of gig.

Work harder! (not smarter)

Godamnitsomuch, I should I put a trademark on this one...

I was surprised there wasn't already a thread on here!

YOU RACISTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

China definitely outdoes Japan in peasant-like attempts of this nature (my favorite is that dude welding with a newspaper over his face, held on by sunglasses) but Japan is where they seem to get the most praise

[kurogane]

Yeah, true enough. Even the peaceniks admire the Kamikaze's Konjo. That always creeps me out a bit.

OTOH, there are lots of 30-ish professional women really pushing the Smarter not Harder thing in the Blogosphere, and lots of them are single, so hope doth spring eternal. hubba hubba

[wagyl]

China definitely outdoes Japan in peasant-like attempts of this nature (my favorite is that dude welding with a newspaper over his face, held on by sunglasses) but Japan is where they seem to get the most praise

You might be misinterpreting praise. There is a strong element in the production of television programs here to make them interesting and notable in some way (well, derr-fred!!) and a common theme is "travel to hick place and show a hick doing hick stuff." First, you get some exaggerated performances from the subject, because everyone reacts in some way or other to the presence of a camera crew. Then, you do some fine editting to match the narrative you had planned back in Tokyo weeks ago well before you even scouted the hick. Then you get a panel of "talent" to react as per the script. As long as the regular advertisers renew their contracts for advertising spots, this format will continue.

[matsuki]

China definitely outdoes Japan in peasant-like attempts of this nature (my favorite is that dude welding with a newspaper over his face, held on by sunglasses) but Japan is where they seem to get the most praise

You might be misinterpreting praise. There is a strong element in the production of television programs here to make them interesting and notable in some way (well, derr-fred!!) and a common theme is "travel to hick place and show a hick doing hick stuff." First, you get some exaggerated performances from the subject, because everyone reacts in some way or other to the presence of a camera crew. Then, you do some fine editting to match the narrative you had planned back in Tokyo weeks ago well before you even scouted the hick. Then you get a panel of "talent" to react as per the script. As long as the regular advertisers renew their contracts for advertising spots, this format will continue.

Oh, I totally agree much of it is scripted/edited/etc for entertainment purpose ....but when you see the reactions that many of the viewers of the programs have...they tend to fall in line with the "talent" panel's assessment at the end of the show....a mixture of reverence for the inaka/the aged bumkin/and praise for their hard work.

[wagyl]

And so the education process is complete: people have been shown how they should react. Do not confuse that with what they would think without that prompting.

[matsuki]

And so the education process is complete: people have been shown how they should react.

Which is what struck me as very bizarre the first time I ever saw Japanese TV...subtitles so you understand, PiP of the "talent" to show you the correct reaction.

Do not confuse that with what they would think without that prompting.

Think without prompting?! Unbareebaburu! What do you think they are, individuals?!

[Coligny]

1968 French cartoon called "The Shadoks" a race of stupid birdlike creature....
It's just like a documentary on Japanese society...

They could be called 'Japintoks' instead...

image.jpg

"Better to pump even if nothing happens than to risk something worse happening by not pumping".

Also include quotes like:

"Why do it the easy way when you can do it the hard way?"
"When one tries continuously, one ends up succeeding. Thus, the more one fails, the greater the chance that it will work."
"If there is no solution, it is because there is no problem."
"To reduce the numbers of unhappy people, always beat up the same individuals."
"Every advantage has its disadvantages and vice versa."
"If there is one chance out of a 1000 to succeed, rush failing the 999 first tries."

The Shadoks had five monosyllabic words in their language: "Ga", "Bu", "Zo", "Meu" and "Ni" (French spelling). But their brain had only four cells. So they could only remember the last four ones heard.

The english wiki:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Shadoks

episodes to watch online:
http://www.ina.fr/recherche/search?sear ... 711&y=-156

[Salty]

Were the hornets killed by the vacuum cleaner?

Some beekeepers also vacuum up bee nests in the wild, but the bees usually survive.

I do this when the honeybees are in a hard to access location - such as in the small vaults under tomb stones. I also use CO2 to gas them to sleep, gather them up, place them into their new hive box, and then fan them to rejuvenate them with air/oxygen. Most survive either process.

[Salty]

I saw one decent episode of jiji giant hornet killer. The man didn't do anything fancy He laid out some sticky glue paper used for rat infestations about the nest the night before. Came back the next day with more than half the hive dead/dying to the stickypaper. Then he walks out like some crazy exterminator gunslinger with 6/10 cans of bug spray and proceeded to "shootem down" at high noon. It was all well and good until he was running out of spray. I remember him cursing in japanese only what I can assume was "Fuck! Fuck!" as two or three Osuzumebachi started staring him down. He beat a hasty retreat to the local hardware store (very ill tempered) and asked for all they had. Went back loaded to the teeth. The battle was epic. Heavy enemy casualties were amassed but in the end the good guys won!

For some reason that's the only episode I remember myself...

I do this too - but it only works for the giant hornet, not the yellow hornet that builds pulp nests that hang under roofs, etc. The key to the sticky rat paper is to catch one hornet and stick it, and the rest of the nearby hornets will investigate and get themselves caught. It is a very effective method.

[Russell]

1968 French cartoon called "The Shadoks" a race of stupid birdlike creature....
It's just like a documentary on Japanese society...

They could be called 'Japintoks' instead...

image.jpg

"Better to pump even if nothing happens than to risk something worse happening by not pumping".

Also include quotes like:

"Why do it the easy way when you can do it the hard way?"
"When one tries continuously, one ends up succeeding. Thus, the more one fails, the greater the chance that it will work."
"If there is no solution, it is because there is no problem."
"To reduce the numbers of unhappy people, always beat up the same individuals."
"Every advantage has its disadvantages and vice versa."
"If there is one chance out of a 1000 to succeed, rush failing the 999 first tries."

The Shadoks had five monosyllabic words in their language: "Ga", "Bu", "Zo", "Meu" and "Ni" (French spelling). But their brain had only four cells. So they could only remember the last four ones heard.

The english wiki:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Shadoks

episodes to watch online:
http://www.ina.fr/recherche/search?sear ... 711&y=-156

LOL.

Actually, this quote

"Every disadvantage has its advantage"

Ieder nadeel heb z'n foordeel (Amsterdam slang)

is a well-known expression in Holland attributed to the immortal Johan Cruyff.